UBL reemerges after 13 months? - Breaking news

al Jazzera has just broadcasted an audiotape in which Usama Bin Laden is claimed to have offered a long term truce(hudna) with the USA, and that al Qaida is planning new strikes on US soil. The BBC world security analyst Frank Gardner says that he is absolutely sure that this is Usama Bin Ladens voice. If this turns out to be the case, it´s the first time since December 2003, just after the American presidential elections that he appers. There has been much speculation on his silence, wheater he is dead or ill. During this time, his number two , Ayman al Zawaheri has been the front figure, and the one delievering the official messages of al Qaida. Just a few days ago, he was said to have been the high value target in the American targeted missile bombing in Waziriistan, Pakistan, just across the border from Afghanistan. According to some news agencies, Ayman al Zawaheris son in law, and the principal bombexpert in al Qaida, was among the 18 killed in the raid.

Usama Bin Laden, al Qaida

Palestinian film Paradise now wins golden globe

The palestinian film Paradise now won the golden globe award for the best foreign language film. Directed by Hany Abu al Asad the film portray´s two friends from Nablus who volunteers as suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. Filmed during the tough conditions of the Intifada, facing the Palestinians in the West bank. The film has been critizised in some quarters in Israel, altough financed by the Israeli film fund, and also from militant palestinian fractions, who wanted the two characters portrayed as superheroes, rather than the complex characters in the film.

golden globes

Stampede- UPDATE

It now appears to be 345 dead in the stampede, according Saudi officials. If comfirmed, this is the largest amount of cassualties since 1990, when 1426 pilgrims died in a tunnel in Mecca. Here is a timeline over earlier casualtities during the Hajj.

Hajj, Stampede

Stampede in Mina - Breaking news

It seems at least 50 pilgrims has been killed in a stampede in Mina on the last day of the Hajj, during the stoning ritual. As usual the most critical passage is the massing of pilgrims on the bridge of Jamarat, and it seems this was the case today. This comes just a week after a house lodging pilgrims collapsed, killing 76. It strikes me as unbelievable that this has to be a reoccuring theme, almost on a yearly basis. If the Saudi authorities are unable to address the security issues involved, they should consider minizing the risks by reducing the number of pilgrims. They take new measures to improve the safety every year, but still this happens. It seems such a waste, losing your life, just after you´d had, what many sees as their most fulfilling experience ever.

Hajj, Stampede

Abu Hamza al Masri trial begins today

Abu Hamza al Masri, the Finsbury Park radical cleric is due in court in London today on charges of incitement. Should be interesting to follow.

Hamas launches new TV-station

On sunday, the new TV-station al Aqsa started broadcasting from an undisclosed location in Gaza. The station is the mouthpiece of Hamas.It will focus on themes that project the religious and sociopolitical vision of the group and their perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group is planning for the future satelite launching of the station. 18 month´s ago, the Hamas radio station in Gaza was rocketed by the Israeli army. The launching of the station comes as the Palestineans are preparing for parliamentary elections on 25th of January ,which Hamas will contest for the first time, and just five months after Israels unilateral withdrawal from the Hamas heartland of Gaza.Hamas have had quite a successful local election campaign prior to the parliamentary elections.

In another development it now seems the Jerusalemites might be able to vote. The Israeli government had threatened, not to let the palestinean voters of Jerusalem participate due to Hamas taking part.

The Israelis will go to the polls in their own parliamentary elections in late March in an election that seemed rather predictable when the Prime minister Ariel Sharon announced that he was leaving the Likud and creating a new party, Kadima(forward), aiming to win the middleground of Israeli politics. The party was the creation of Sharon and it´s supposed constituency, the silent majority, wanting a settlement of sorts, with the Palestineans, but not trusting them enough after five years of the second intifada. The bulldozer´s popularity seemed sufficient enough for Kadima to win the elections, but without Sharon in the game, it´s a different election altogheter. If violence and counter violence continues to be the norm in the prelude and during the election campaign, Bibi Nethanyahu could end up as the victor, and could start his second term in office in early spring 2006.

Hamas

Merry Christmas to all Orthodox Christians!

This is my first entry in 2006. I would like to take the opportunity to wish all Orthodox Christians a merry Christmas! Of course especially to my Coptic readers in and outside of Egypt. And please go easy on the food!

Christmas